Dr Bernard Valentin is a seasoned public health professional and national leader with extensive experience in health governance and institutional development. He currently serves as Special Advisor to the Minister for Health and has over a decade of experience as Principal Secretary for Health, having held the position from 2011 to 2012 and from 2016 to 2025. During his tenure, he provided executive oversight to the National Institute of Health and Social Studies, contributing significantly to the strengthening of academic programmes and institutional development.

Dr Valentin has held several key leadership roles across national bodies. He is currently Chairperson of the Seychelles Medical and Dental Council and chairs the non-governmental organisation Patient Solidarity. Since 2018, he has been a member of the Seychelles Qualifications Authority and previously served on the University of Seychelles Council from 2016 to 2018. Internationally, he represented Seychelles on the Executive Board of the World Health Organisation for three years.

He holds a medical degree from the University of Athens and a Master of Arts in Health Services Management with distinction from the University of Manchester. He also obtained a combined diploma in Epidemiology, Statistics and Management from the University of Nairobi, as well as a Diploma in Addiction Studies from the University of Reunion.

Dr Valentin has contributed to academic research, including coordinating the Seychelles component of an international study in collaboration with Lund University and the University of Rochester on the long-term public health effects of heavy metals on specific population groups. He has also co-authored a peer-reviewed article in public health.

In addition to his professional career, Dr Valentin is an accomplished literary figure and a two-time laureate of the Antoine Abel Prize, Seychelles’ highest literary honour. He is fluent in English, French, Greek, and Creole.